Protect children in Dartington from excessive radiation

The mobile giant Vodafone has ignored health concerns by parents, local schools and other members of the community at Datington, Devon, by installing a 10m mobile phone mast less than 100 metres from two local schools, local playground and the community swimming pool. According to many leading experts, these masts emit levels of electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and radiation that can lead to significant health issues. And it is our children that are the most vulnerable of all when it comes to the impact of EMFs and radiation. These masts therefore have no place near our schools or recreational spaces.

Vodafone originally applied to South Hams District Council for the erection of a 15m mast, but this planning application was rejected amidst local opposition to the mast. Since then, Vodafone has appealed to the Secretary of State to have the local council’s decision revoked. To our dismay, Vodafone has in the meantime gone ahead and installed a 10m phone mast (which apparently doesn't need planning permission) during the May half term break, while the schools and the parents weren’t watching. Such sneaky behaviour is an affront to the local community’s well-founded concerns about the health impact on everyone, and above all, to our children.

Will you help us in calling on Sarah Richards, Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate, to reject Vodafone's appeal to have its application for a 15 metre mast approved? And also calling on Vodafone to put our children's health and wellbeing at heart and to remove the 10 metre mast that they have already erected.

The internet, mobiles and wi-fi are great technologies and most of us rely on them – I couldn’t write this petition without these technologies! But we all know that there are risks of all sorts involved. We don’t want to turn back the clock on technology. We want companies like Vodafone to put safety first. There are safer places to install masts than in a spot surrounded by hundreds of people - especially children.